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like-a-bag-of-potatoes · 4 years

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Hunted - Chapter Three

A/N: This series is a military AU that will feature characters from Marvel and Supernatural. This will be a rollercoaster and I will try to warn accordingly for every chapter. Also, I want to throw out there that feedback is the fastest way to my heart. And last but not least, a shout out to my girl @thorne93 for betaing all of this (and yelling at me), and to my girl @superapplepie for letting me test this story out on her, you guys are the best.

THIS SERIES WAS PREVIOUSLY POSTED TO @sebs-potato

Flashbacks are italics.

Warnings: Angst.

Characters: Julia Smith (OFC), Bucky Barnes, Clint Barton, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Steve Rogers, Thor Odinson, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, Tony Stark

Wordcount: 2372

Series Summary:

Julia Smith has spent her entire adult life serving her country, but now she lives her life as an inactive marine in New York city. She’s trying hard to find her footing as a civilian, but she can’t shake the restlessness that has settled in her bones. One day she gets an anonymous note with information about a friend’s suicide, and the chase for information begins.

Her first stop is her old comrade, James Barnes, and together they set out to reunite their old squad, to gather intel, and to solve a mystery. The deeper they dig, the more dangerous it gets, and it does not take long before they understand that they’re being hunted. Now it’s a race against the clock. Can they get to the bottom of this and find out who’s hunting them before they lose anymore men?

The squad is united again for one last mission, and it’s gonna be one hell of a ride.

May 5th 2018, Sam Wilson’s funeral, West Virginia:

A soft knock sounded on Bucky’s hotel room door. For a second he just stood there, immobile as his eyes locked on the blue jacket that was splayed out on the meticulously made bed. It took another knock to pull him out of his trance like state and get him to open the door.

Julia stood on the other side of the door, her hazel eyes as blank and empty as Bucky’s. He didn't say anything, didn't even invite her in, instead he just let the door stay open as he turned away from her and walked back into his room. The sun shone through the thin white curtains, filling the small space with light. Bucky looked very handsome in his Blue Dress uniform, but today Julia wished none of them had to wear it.

“We need to get going, Buck,” she said in a soft voice.

“I'm just…” he said, but his voice trailed off there. She knew what he meant though, it had taken her a good while to get dressed today too.

She walked over to the bed and carefully picked up his jacket before holding it out for him. A hint of appreciation flashed across his face before he turned around and let her help him put the jacket on. “Are you ready for this?” she asked carefully as she straightened out the shoulders, letting her hands linger there for a moment longer than she needed too.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” he countered, his long fingers working on the many buttons.

“Yeah,” she said in agreement, her eyes stung with tears as she thought about the day that lay before them, and the comrade they would have to say goodbye to. “Wilson would probably crack some sort of joke to lighten the mood right about now.”

A huff of air left Bucky’s mouth before a fond smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “You’re right. And it would probably be something about you in a skirt,” he said with amusement, motioning towards Jules in her uniform.

“Very true,” she agreed.

***

Sergeant Wilson’s funeral was beautiful. Lots of kind words and funny anecdotes were shared through speeches from his friends and family. It was reassuring to them all to learn that Sam Wilson the civilian wasn't much different than Sam Wilson the soldier. They all got to say their goodbyes to their fallen comrade, and Steve had taken the podium to offer gratitude for Sam's service, both on behalf of the country and on behalf of the squad.

Later on, when they all had had an opportunity to get changed out of their uniforms again, they met up at a small, hole in the wall pub, that was Wilson’s favorite watering hole. It was good to be together again, even though the circumstances could be better.

Julia let her eyes take in the faces around the table. On her right sat Steve, the man who had officially welcomed her to Camp Lehigh after she passed all the tests. Then there was Dean, the ever flirty, but kind hearted mechanic of their squad, and his little brother Sammy, or doc, who had joined their squad after their medic fell in combat. There was Thor and Clint, the dynamic overwatch duo, the spotter and the sniper. A seat was left open for Wilson, a shot glass placed upside down on the table in front of the vacant chair to honor him. Then there was Bucky, and of course Julia. Seven people sat around the table, trying to end the day a bit better than it started, trying to fill the void which the empty chair had left in their souls.

“So, Jules. How’s bartending going?” Thor asked, the squad playing catch up to keep track of how everyone was doing.

“I got fired,” she said, downing a shot of vodka. “My boss wasn't too happy with me when I broke a guy’s nose,” she explained with a shrug.

“You did what?” Clint asked with laughter in his voice.

“He grabbed my ass, okay?” she defended. “I gave him fair warning before I elbowed him in the nose.”

All eyes flitted over to Dean as Thor spoke up. “Sound familiar, Winchester?” he said with a chuckle.

“Hey, I learned my lesson,” Dean defended, throwing his hands up.

“Oh, there's a story there,” Sam piped in. “Tell me,” he demanded with amusement.

“I don't think we need to go down that road,” Dean said before taking a huge gulp of his whiskey.

“Why? Still embarrassed?” Steve taunted.

“My pride is permanently damaged, alright?” the eldest Winchester said with a very dramatic voice.

“I need to know this story,” Sam pressed, and all of a sudden all eyes were on Julia again.

“Alright, Sammy,” she said with a smile before taking a sip of her beer. “It was during my first deployment with the squad. We had two days left and we were celebrating that all of us were going home with all limbs intact after a string of successful missions. Wilson had gotten his hands on some locally brewed vodka-” a collective shudder went around the table as they all remember the taste of the god awful booze- “It was nasty as fuck, but it got the job done. After about half a bottle, your brother comes up to me-”

“Again, Wilson’s idea,” Dean pointed out.

“Anyway… Dean comes up to me and places his hand on my ass before he invited me back to the tent for what he called a private celebration.”

“Tell your brother how that worked out for you, Winchester,” Clint ordered, a wide grin on his face.

“It didn't. I believe her exact words were ‘if you don't get your hand off my ass, I will tear it off and beat you to death with it’.”

“Damn straight,” Jules said, reaching over and clinking her glass against Dean’s, shooting him a wink.

“I remember Dean telling us he was gonna make a move,” Thor commented. “Everyone told him not to, except for Wilson who, of course, urged him on.”

“Yeah… pretty sure he just wanted to see me get my ass kicked by a girl,” Dean said as he raised his glass, waiting for the others to do the same. “To Sergeant Wilson, the world is a less interesting place without you,” he said.

“To Wilson,” the others said in unison, raising their glasses in salute to their fallen brother before emptying them.

***

May 19th 2018, Clint Barton’s farm:

Bucky and Julia made their way down the dirt road towards Hawkeye’s farm, the motorcycle undoubtedly making their arrival known. The farm was placed in the middle of nowhere, no civilization for miles and miles around it, just like Clint wanted it. Julia couldn't help but smile as the white townhouse came into view, green frames around the many windows, and a large tree with a swing hanging from it cast a shadow over their front porch.

She had been here once before, her and Bucky had traveled up here to break the news when Natasha had died, given hers and Clint’s relationship it didn't seem right to do it over the phone.

Clint stood on the grass in front of the house alongside his wife, Lexi, as Bucky pulled the bike to a stop and shut off the engine. An uneasy feeling settled in him as soon as he saw his two friends’ faces, the memory of the last time they were here was still fresh in his mind. Lexi reached down and laced fingers with her husband, knowing that whatever came next wasn’t gonna be good.

Julia and Bucky dismounted the bike and put their helmets on the ground before making their way over to the two of them. This place was so peaceful, the only sounds that could be heard was birds chirping in the trees and a faint buzz of a river nearby, it didn't feel good for them to come here and disrupt the peace, but Hawkeye needed to be briefed.

Bucky went up and gave Clint a quick hug before hugging Lexi, then Julia did the same.

“I'm always happy to see you guys, but something tells me this isn't a social visit,” Clint said knowingly.

“Can we talk?” Julia asked.

“I'll go get y’all some refreshments,” Lexi said, understanding that this conversation wasn't for her ears.

“Thanks, babe,” Clint said as he kissed her cheek. “What's going on?” he asked as soon as she was out of earshot, a serious expression on his face.

Julia filled him in on everything she knew, all from Sam and Natasha, to the note she got and finally about Donna and the hit list she had found. “We’re being targeted,” she finished.

“Shit,” was all he could think of to say. “So what's next?”

“You need to get your family out of here and into hiding,” Bucky said in a gravelly tone. “We’re gonna try and find out what's going on, but in the meantime I think we should all be looking over our shoulders.”

“We could also use all the help we can get,” Julia said.

“Don't get me wrong, I'd trust you both with my life. Hell, I've done that a million times, but this is all a bit much to swallow,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I know, but we wouldn't be here if this wasn't real,” Julia countered. “If you don't want to help, that's fine, but you and your family need to go into hiding until we figure this out.”

Something drew Hawkeye’s attention from his comrades and to a nearby hilltop, it wasn't much, but he swore he saw a blinking light. “GET DOWN!” he yelled, the three of them throwing themselves to the ground instantly. A bullet came soaring through the air and hit the ground two feet behind Clint, if he had been standing it would have gone straight through his head.

All three of them got back on their feet, keeping low as they made their way into the house. “Take the kids into the basement,” Clint ordered his wife who looked terrified, but did as she was told. The trapdoor in the kitchen floor hid a steep set of stairs into what was a fully stocked safe room. Lexi and the kids had barely shut the hatch as the second bullet came crashing through the window.

“Attic.” Clint took lead as the three of them climbed the stairs, keeping their heads low and bodies away from the windows. They climbed a ladder to the dusty attic where Clint had a sniper rifle setup in front of the small window there. He handed Jules his binoculars before he took his position in front of the gun. “South-west hilltop,” he said to Jules. “I need the exact distance and wind.”

This was not Julia’s expertise, but she had been through training on this as well at some point. She scanned the hilltop, the digital scope giving her distances and such, but there were no one up there. “They’re gone,” she said.

Before the words had left her mouth, Clint got back up, he knew they were gone too. “That bullet would have gone straight through my head,” he said knowingly. “I'm in.”

***

“These are the coordinates to a hunting cabin, it's off the grid, deep in the woods, and can in no way be traced back to me,” Clint said as he handed a yellow post-it note to Bucky. “You guys go there, get set up, and I'll be there as soon as my family is safe.”

“Where are you taking them?” Julia asked, concern in her hazel eyes.

“Gonna keep that to myself,” he said, shooting them a wink. “I'll grab some untraceable phones on my way back, but other than that, the cabin should be fully stocked. I'll be there by sundown tomorrow.”

And with that they parted ways, Clint in his car with his family, Jules and Bucky on his bike.

It was the middle of the night and pitch black when the bike pulled up in front of the small cabin. Somewhere in the distance they could hear an owl hooting, some crickets were chirping in the grass, but other than that, it was dead quiet.

“One of us should keep guard,” Bucky said as they opened the front door and stepped inside. It was a tidy space, but bore signs of not being used much over the past year's, they noticed a thin layer of dust covering every surface as Bucky shone his flashlight through the room.

“You've been driving all day, I'll take first watch,” Julia stated simply. “Don't argue me on this, go get some shut eye, and I'll wake you in four hours,” she added when Bucky was about to protest.

He shone the light at her, taking in her form for a second before he agreed, her face telling him that there would be absolutely no arguing with her. “Fine. Night vision goggles are in my duffle,” he said as he dropped the bag to the ground.

Julia had already started rearranging the little kitchen, making room for a chair in front of the window that would give her the best overlook. “Thanks,” she said as he handed her the goggles and a bottle of water.

“I'll be on the couch,” he said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the sofa.

“Hey, James?” Julia said softly as he was walking away from her.

There it was again, his real name spoken with so much emotion, he didn't say anything though, just turned his head so he could see her. Or at least her outline in the darkness.

“I'm sorry you got dragged into all of this. I had no idea what this was when I came to you.”

“I know. You’re not at fault here.” He sat down on the couch and untied his shoes before he kicked them off and laid down. “We’re gonna get to the bottom of this,” he assured just as he closed his eyes, only then realizing how truly exhausted he was.

It had been a very long day.

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Tags: @capandbucylvr @buchanansebba

#Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #marvel au #Steve Rogers #sam wilson #Thor Odinson #Sam Winchester #dean winchester #crossover #Hunted

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